The Dawn Will Always Come
by Doorhandletable
Summary: Sasuke has returned to the village after two years away, but Sakura isn't quite sure where their relationship stands. (blank period, multi-chapter)


To say Sakura had a bad day at work would be an understatement. She'd walked into her office first thing that morning to find a mountain of paperwork on her desk. Then she had to see to a poor little boy from the academy who lost a finger during shuriken training. Then two chūnin who contracted a mysterious illness while on a mission to the Land of Tall Trees and had to be put in quarantine. And finally a whole team of genin and their sensei who had been poisoned so badly they went into a coma.

It was just past eight o'clock when Sakura finally got off work. Her feet were killing her and she was starving. She hadn't even had time to eat lunch that day. She thought longingly of the can of soup in her pantry and the cheesy romance novel waiting for her under her pillow.

"Sakura."

She glanced around at the sound of her name and almost had a heart attack when she saw Sasuke leaning against the wall next to the hospital entrance.

"I'm home, Sakura," he said as he approached her.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."

She stared at him. He seemed to have gotten taller since he'd been away. His hair had gotten longer, with long bangs covering one side of his face, completely hiding his rinnegan. His shoulders seemed wider too, though it was hard to tell when he was wearing his bulky black cloak. But he was still the same Sasuke-kun.

"Sakura?" Sasuke prodded, seemingly perturbed by her extended silence.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen you in two years and then you just turn up out of the blue." Sakura shook her head and smiled at him. "I missed you."

Sakura could have sworn she saw the corners of Sasuke's mouth curl up into something resembling a smile.

"When did you get back?" she asked.

"Tonight. I've already been to see Kakashi. He told me that your shift was about to end," Sasuke said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of ryō bills. "And then he gave me this and told me to go buy you dinner."

Sakura felt herself blush. She didn't know if she wanted to kill her old sensei or kiss him.

"It's not as if we can ignore a request from the Hokage," she said, grinning. "What do you feel like eating? There's a new noodle place that Ino raves about."

"I don't mind," Sasuke told her. "Whatever you want is fine. Just no ramen."

She hadn't seen Sasuke in two years. What she really wanted was to have a proper talk with him, alone and away from the prying eyes of the village.

"I don't want to go to a noisy restaurant. Why don't we go back to my apartment and I can make you dinner?" Sakura suggested hopefully.

"Hm. Sounds fine to me."

"My apartment isn't very far," Sakura said. "It won't take long to walk there."

They walked side by side in silence for a few blocks. Sasuke got a few strange looks from passers-by, though he didn't seem to notice. Or, more likely, he did notice, but he either didn't care or was used to it by now.

"Who are you staying with?" Sakura asked as they rounded a corner onto her street.

"No one," Sasuke answered bluntly.

"Oh, do you have a room at an inn?"

"No."

"So what are you-" Sakura stopped as realization hit her. "Sasuke-kun... are you planning to sleep outside?"

"I've been sleeping outside for two years now," Sasuke said. "An inn would be a waste of money."

"Sasuke-kun, you can't sleep in a tree!" Sakura said, aghast. "You're at home. You should be in a warm bed. And you shouldn't have to pay for it, either. You can stay with me tonight. I have a pretty comfortable couch."

"Ah." Sasuke actually sounded taken aback. "That's not… that wouldn't be appropriate."

Sasuke had been raised in a conservative clan. Of course he would be reluctant to stay in the apartment of a single woman, even if it was just sleeping on her couch.

"It's not like we'll be sharing a bed," Sakura said quickly. "You can stay with me tonight and we can find a more permanent solution tomorrow. And please don't take this the wrong way, Sasuke-kun, but I think you could use a nice long shower."

* * *

Sakura had never felt more self-conscious of her living space. Her apartment was tiny. The living room was barely big enough to fit a couch. The kitchen wasn't much bigger. Sakura still couldn't believe she'd managed to fit a fridge and a small table into the tiny space.

Still, she considered herself lucky. It was getting harder and harder to find housing these days, and the apartment was in a great location, just a few blocks away from the hospital. She knew people who would kill to have her apartment, even if it was the size of a postage stamp.

As she surveyed the contents of the fridge, she realized that she may have made a mistake in bringing Sasuke home for dinner.

"I'm sorry. I don't have much in the fridge," Sakura said to Sasuke, who was standing awkwardly with his back pressed up against the sink due to the small size of the kitchen. "To be honest, I don't really cook much. I usually just have canned soup or order in."

She looked at the contents of the fridge again. A carton of eggs. A small pat of butter. A bottle of milk. A block of cheese. A single tomato. Half a loaf of bread.

"I could make cheese and tomato omelettes," Sakura offered. "Would that be okay? Or we could order in."

"Omelettes are fine," Sasuke said, shifting uncomfortably against the sink.

"You can take a shower while I'm cooking if you'd like. My bedroom's just down the hall. The bathroom is an ensuite. You can use my shampoo if you'd like. It's lavender scented."

Sakura was just setting the two plates of omelettes down when Sasuke returned. His hair was still wet from the shower. He was wearing the same black clothes he had on before, though thankfully without his cloak. Sakura couldn't help but notice that Sasuke had indeed gotten more muscular since the last time she saw him.

"Sasuke-kun, don't you have any other clothes that you can put on?" Sakura asked.

"No," Sasuke said, looking down at his clothes. "This is all I have. It's all I need."

"When do you get a chance to wash them?"

"I wash them in rivers and streams occasionally."

Sakura pictured Sasuke sitting by a riverbed washing his clothes, wearing nothing but his cloak. She felt her face suddenly get very hot.

"Are you sick, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, looking at her curiously.

"What, no! Of course not, Sasuke-kun."

"Your face is red."

Sakura quickly hid her face in her hands and turned away from him.

"Sit down. Would you like something to drink?" she asked, opening up a cupboard above the sink. "I have a bottle of Land of Rice sake that Tsunade sent me for my birthday a few months ago. I've been saving it for a special occasion."

She poured them each a cup of sake and brought then both to the table. She sat down next to Sasuke at the table and started to eat. Out of habit, she had given Sasuke both a knife and a fork. It wasn't until that they were both sitting down that she realized her mistake. Fortunately, Sasuke was managing well on his own, using the side of the fork to cut into the omelette. Sakura suddenly felt guilty for doubting his ability.

"I wanted to thank you," Sasuke told her, raising the cup of sake to his lips.

"For what?"

"For passing on my congratulations to Naruto at his wedding. I'm sorry that I could not attend in person."

"Don't worry about it," Sakura reassured him. "I understand why you couldn't come, and Naruto understands too."

As Sakura swallowed a mouthful of omelette, a thought occurred to her.

"How long are you planning to stay?" she asked Sasuke.

"Just a week," Sasuke answered. "Kakashi has a task for me."

"Well, actually, speaking of weddings, Sai and Ino are getting married on Saturday. I'm the bridesmaid. I was wondering if you could come with me as my date."

Sasuke looked confused.

"What… is a bridesmaid?" he asked.

"Ino wants a big western-style wedding like in the movies," Sakura explained to him. "The bridesmaid is part of the wedding procession. It's a little embarrassing. I have to wear this big puffy dress that makes me look like a cupcake."

Sasuke considered this for a few moments.

"Very well," he said. He paused to take another drink of sake. "I will accompany you."

Sakura tried to hide her smile with her sake cup.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

The omelettes didn't last long. Sasuke and Sakura had been so hungry that they devoured them within five minutes of them sitting down.

"I have something for you," Sasuke said as Sakura took their plates to the sink to rinse them off.

He stood up and walked out of the room. Sakura allowed her mind to wander and imagine exactly what Sasuke could have brought home for her. A bottle of perfume? A necklace made of rare stones? A few moments later, Sasuke returned, carrying a small jar full of what looked like dried leaves.

"Dried medeor leaves," Sasuke said, placing the jar on the table. "I understand that they're often used to make medicine. They're rare in this part of the world. I thought they may be of some use to you."

"That was very thoughtful of you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, trying not to look disappointed. "Thank you."

Sasuke's gift was indeed very thoughtful, though not the extravagant gifts she had pictured in her head. She silently cursed herself for being greedy.

"I should go to bed now. I have work early tomorrow morning," she said, putting the last plate in the dishrack to dry. "Would you like to use the bathroom before I go to bed, Sasuke-kun?"

"Ah, yes." Sasuke stood up and dug around in his pocket and produced the money that Kakashi had given him. "You should have this."

"You don't have to pay me, Sasuke-kun. You're my guest."

"Kakashi gave me the money to buy dinner for you. You cooked dinner yourself, so you should have it."

"Ah, well," Sakura reached out and took the money reluctantly. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura turned towards her bedroom door. She had a spare blanket in her closet and an extra pillow on her bed. She could make up Sasuke's bed on the couch while he was in the bathroom.

"Wait, Sakura," she heard Sasuke say.

Sakura turned around and looked at him expectantly.

"Thank you for dinner."

* * *

Sasuke-kun looked so cute, Sakura thought to herself as she looked over his sleeping body. He was curled up on his side with his arm tucked in like a cat. His hair was swept aside, exposing the side of his face that was usually covered by hair. It seemed almost a shame to wake him.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered gently, shaking him a little. "Sasuke-kun, wake up."

Sasuke opened his eyes and blinked at her. He sat up and looked around, taking in his surroundings, almost as if he wasn't quite sure how he got there.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted him. "I made you toast and coffee."

Sasuke grunted, pulled his blanket off, and stumbled out of bed. Sasuke, it turned out, was not a morning person. He followed Sakura to the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"What are you doing today, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, placing a cup of coffee in front of him. She sat down at the table next to him.

"Ah," Sasuke muttered, speaking for the first time that morning. "I have to see Kakashi."

"What about?"

But Sasuke didn't answer. He just raised his lone hand to his head and pressed his finger against his left temple.

"Is there something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

"My head hurts."

Sakura grinned.

"Sasuke-kun, you're not used to drinking. I think you're hungover."

The hospital was on the way to the Hokage Tower so Sasuke and Sakura walked together.

"Maybe you could ask Kakashi-sensei if he has room at the Hokage residence," Sakura suggested as they turned onto the street the hospital was on.

"Hm, maybe," Sasuke said, though he didn't seem as though he was keen on asking Kakashi himself.

"I'm not sure who else you could stay with," Sakura said. "You can't stay with Naruto. He's a newlywed."

"I'd rather sleep in a tree than sleep in the presence of hundreds of discarded ramen cups anyway."

"You'd be surprised," Sakura said. "Hinata has really domesticated him. He even eats proper meals now, not just ramen. It's a miracle all that sodium in ramen hasn't killed him yet. Getting married may have saved his life."

"Sasuke?"

Speak of the devil.

"When the hell did you get back?!" they heard Naruto's voice say as an orange blur ran towards them.

"Last night," Sakura answered for him. "We had dinner together."

"So you went to see Sakura but not me?" Naruto asked, sounding hurt. "I'm your best friend!"

"I assume your wife wouldn't have appreciated me showing up so late at night," Sasuke said

"Well, yeah but still," Naruto said dejectedly. He turned to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, what time do you get off work today?"

"Six o'clock but I'm-"

"We should have dinner together at Ichiraku like old times. With Hinata too, of course."

"I can't," Sakura said. "I said I'd have dinner with Ino tonight. Sai's away on a mission."

"She can come too."

"Fine, I'll be there," Sakura conceded. "I have to go to work now. Naruto, take Sasuke to Kakashi-sensei and tell him that he needs a place to stay."

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused. "Where did you stay last night?"

"He stayed with me," Sakura said. When she saw Naruto's eyes widen, she quickly added, "It's not like that. We were in separate rooms. I didn't want Sasuke sleeping in a tree so I asked him to stay."

"You better have kept your hands to yourself, Sasuke," Naruto warned, sounding oddly like an overprotective brother. "If you besmirch Sakura-chan's reputation, you'll have me to answer to."

"Keep my hands to myself, huh?" Sasuke looked at his arm stump pointedly. "That's not exactly easy for me."

Sakura and Naruto gaped at him. Did Sasuke… just make a joke?

* * *

"Remember we have our final fittings tomorrow, Forehead. Don't be late this time."

Ino and Sakura were sitting at the counter at Ichiraku waiting for Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata to arrive.

"I can't promise that I can get off work early, but I'll be there at some point," Sakura said.

"You work too much, Forehead," Ino said, sighing. "So, tell me about your date with Sasuke-kun."

"It wasn't a date," Sakura said, because it wasn't.

"Yeah, yeah." Ino waved a hand dismissively. "What did you two do?"

"We talked. I asked him to be my date to the wedding."

"And?"

"That's it."

"You could have at least tried to kiss him," Ino said, flabbergasted.

"I don't want to come on too strong," Sakura admitted.

"Who are you and what have you done to Sakura Haruno?" Ino groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. "Imagine what little Sakura would have said if she found out you had Sasuke-kun alone in your apartment and you didn't even try to kiss him."

"I'm not thirteen anymore, Ino," Sakura said. "I'm not really sure where our relationship stands right now."

"He asked you out to dinner! He clearly likes you!"

"Only because Kakashi-sensei asked him to."

"Since when does Sasuke-kun follow orders from anyone?" Ino shook her head. "I'm going to have to do something about you two."

"Stay out of this, Pig."

"I have to do something. If this keeps up, I'm not going to be the bridesmaid at your wedding until I'm fifty."

"Sakura-chan, you owe us!"

Sakura and Ino looked behind them and saw Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke enter the shop.

"We made him take off his filthy old clothes so we could wash them," Naruto continued, sitting down at the counter next to Ino. Hinata sat down next to him. "Our poor washing machine will never be the same again."

"Kakashi has allowed me to stay at the Hokage residence until I leave," Sasuke said to Sakura as he sat down next to her.

As they ate, Ino told them about her honeymoon plans(beach resort on the Island of Paradise). Naruto filled the group in on what he did with Sasuke that day(sparring and forced clothes-washing). Sakura told them about a patient of hers with a particularly gruesome case of food pill poisoning, which single handedly made everyone refrain from ordering a second bowl of ramen.

"Sakura, have you seen The Quiet Heart yet?" Ino asked as everyone was getting ready to leave.

"No, I haven't had the chance to go to the movies in months," Sakura said. "I've been so busy with work."

"That's a gross soppy romance movie," Naruto groaned. "Hinata dragged me to it last week."

Ino glared at Naruto. Sakura could have sworn she saw Hinata elbow Naruto gently in the side.

"You're not working late tonight," Ino said, turning back to Sakura. "You should take Sasuke-kun."

"I don't know," Sakura, glancing over at Sasuke. "I'm sure Sasuke-kun is tired and just wants to rest."

"That's right, he should relax at the movies," Ino said. "With Sakura."

"What do you think, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "We can use the money Kakashi-sensei gave you."

Sasuke considered this for a few moments.

"Why not?" he said finally.

"Great!" Naruto declared. "We can all go together."

"You just said you thought the movie was soppy and gross," Ino said, annoyed.

"Well yeah, but we can all make fun of it after."

"Naruto-kun, I think Sasuke and Sakura would prefer to be alone," Hinata told him gently.

Realization dawned over Naruto's face.

"Ah, ohhhh," he said, looking from Sasuke to Sakura. "In that case, we should leave you guys in peace. Let's go, Hinata. Remember, hands-I mean hand-to yourself, Sasuke."

"I still cannot believe," Sasuke said slowly as he watched them leave, "that he is married."


End file.
